Page 28 of Dragon Revealed (Dragon Kings 1)
Chapter Fifteen
Varek couldn’t shake the feeling that Jeyra was headed into trouble. He knew with certainty that she would ignore everything he’d cautioned her about. Not that he blamed her. He’d do the same in her shoes.
It grated on him that he couldn’t be out there to help her. He knew that look in her eyes, the one that said she wouldn’t stop until she had what she wanted. Because he’d been there himself once. And had left a trail of destruction in his wake.
It wasn’t until he became a Dragon King that he found others he could trust—and who trusted him. The need to fight for everything then subsided. Not entirely because he was a King for his clan, but he no longer sought out things to clash over. It had been an eye-opening experience that’d changed him in many ways.
He sat up and ran a hand down his face. Varek was beginning to hate the dungeon. He wanted to stand up, to stretch, get some clean clothes. And be upright in a hot shower. The little water he had to wash himself did the job, but it wasn’t the showers he was used to.
With nothing else to do, he lay back and closed his eyes. He’d already finished the food Jeyra had brought, and no one would venture close to him until she returned. Unless, of course, that brute of a man returned, possibly with more clothes. Varek yawned and tested his body where he had sustained his injuries. They were almost healed.
That pleased him because he didn’t want to fight while injured. He could, but it would put him at a disadvantage. He had been at a disadvantage since he arrived on this realm, and it was time that changed.
He stilled as he felt something brush against his mind as soft as a butterfly’s wings. His eyes snapped open as he held his breath, listening to see if he heard it again.
“Who’s there?”he asked mentally.
Varek released his breath and slammed his fist against the ground when he received no answer. Was he so desperate for the other dragons that he’d imagined a voice? If he’d sunk to such levels, it didn’t bode well for his chances of escape. His thoughts turned to Merrill. How had he been taken but not Merrill?
“Because he was with a woman,” Varek suddenly said aloud.
He smiled as relief poured through him. He remembered something. At least now, he knew that Merrill wasn’t stuck somewhere on this realm. No doubt his friend had returned to Dreagan and informed Con and the other Dragon Kings about Varek’s disappearance. Unfortunately, none of them would know to look for him on another realm, much less the one where the twins were. If that’s where he was.
“Erith,” he called, attempting once more to reach out to the goddess.
If he couldn’t contact any of the dragons on the realm, then she and the Reapers were his last hope. It also made him realize that he needed the city’s layout to devise an escape plan. When he saw Jeyra next, he would ask her for it.
He smiled, recalling their kiss. It had been unexpected, but he didn’t regret a single moment of it. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her before the kiss, and now, she filled every corner of his mind. No matter what he thought about, she was there. He could try to ignore the feelings growing within him, but it wouldn’t do any good. He had found his mate in the most unlikely of places. But found her he had.
Varek snorted, thinking of how angry he was at whoever had captured him. But if he hadn’t been brought here, he might never have found Jeyra. He would have gone the rest of his life without a mate beside him. Oddly, that thought hadn’t bothered him before. Until he looked into Jeyra’s amber eyes and saw the fire inside her.
She had many reasons to hate dragons, but he hoped she could overcome them to be with him. If her response to his kiss was any indication, she just might be able to.
His smile died as he recalled the story of her family. That kind of deep-seated animosity didn’t relinquish its hold easily—if ever. Jeyra wanted justice for what’d happened. No doubt many others did, as well. What would happen if he agreed to the marriage the council offered? Varek couldn’t imagine it sitting well with the humans. It would only breed more hatred. And he only knew the mortal’s side of things in this war.
Mortals. That was laughable. He wouldn’t exactly call Jeyra mortal, but she wasn’t immortal either. The truth of what she was, however, confounded him. Until the Fae and humans came to their realm, the Dragon Kings knew nothing of those species. The Kings and dragons didn’t venture to other realms, so they didn’t know of anyone else.
He wanted to bellow with frustration but held it inside. Only when he was fighting for his freedom would he release it. Then, those who thought they could hold a Dragon King would know the full wrath of one.
It wasn’t just the city Varek needed information about. He also needed to know what kind of weapons they had, and the size of the army that would come at him. With nothing else to do, he began to plan for an escape with various-sized cities, troops, and weapons to account for. He was so deep in thought that it took him a second to realize that someone had said his name.
He turned his head toward the bars and saw Jeyra’s silhouette. He made his way to her. “Is it morning already?”
She sat and reached for him as she shook her head.
Her hand was cold. Since she wasn’t wearing long sleeves or a coat, he knew it couldn’t be winter outside. That meant something had frightened her. “What happened?”
“You were right,” she whispered.
He got her attention and held her gaze. “Tell me what happened.”
As she explained to him about being followed and then the man who’d put a blade against her back in the middle of the training arena, fury consumed him.
“I can’t trust anyone,” she said and put her forehead against one of the bars.
Varek tightened his fingers on her hand. “That’s what they want you to think.”
“It’s working.” She lifted her head and sighed loudly. “If other warriors saw anything, no one said a word. I don’t think they would’ve helped me had I been attacked. What does that say about those I call friends?”
“They are no’ your friends. Friends would’ve rushed to aid you. They might be fellow warriors, but that’s all they are.”
She rolled her eyes, looking miserable. “In general, warriors tend to keep to themselves. I took it to the extreme, though. Rankin has always told me it’s because I don’t want to get close to anyone else for fear they’ll leave me like my family. Maybe he’s right. I always thought it was just that people got on my nerves, and it was better if I stayed away.”
Varek couldn’t help but smile. “Some are renewed by being in a crowd. Others benefit from keeping themselves separate. There is no right way or wrong way. There is simply your way.”
“True, but I don’t have any friends.”
“You have me.” She smiled, and his heart swelled at the sight. “I need something from you.”
“All right,” she said with a nod. “What is it?”
“How big is the city? What are the main streets, and what directions do they run? How many guards are there? How long will it take to get from here to the city gates? What kind of weapons will be used?”
She blinked at him. “You’re going to escape.”
